Container

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a container assembly for packing material such as fish cooled with ice which comprises a box like container and an insert panel for location in the container as to be spaced above and apart from the bottom of the container. The water resulting from the melting of the ice is retained in the container until the container is inverted. At the same time the fish are not being contaminated.

United States Patent 1191 Qroston Sept. 4, 1973 CONTAINER 3,451,328 6 1969 Swett 99 269 2,575,843 11/1951 Semrow 1 312/351 [75] 0mm", wexfmd 2,660,040 11/1953 Babski 3121351 x 1 3,636,888 1/1972 Angelbeck, .lr 1011 53 2,822,640 2/1958 Fuller 312/351 [73] Ass'gnee Ass'stance 3,698,783 10/1972 Swett 312 351 Filed: June 1971 Primary Examiner -Casmir A. Nunberg [21] APPL 155,813 Att0rney-Kurt Kelman 52 us. c1 312/351, 99/171 R, 99/269, [57] ABSTRACT 220/9 F, 312/284, 312/229 The invention provides a container assembly for pack- 151 1111. C1. 865d 25/00, A47j 47/02 g material such as fi co ed wi ice w ich co [58] Field of Search 312/214, 229, 236, prises a b li e Container and an insert panel for loca- 312/351, 284; 220/D1G. 6, 9 F, 17, 42; tion in the container as to be spaced above and apart 108/52-54, 77; 99/154, 269 from the bottom of the container. The water resulting from the melting of the ice is retained in the container [56] Referen es Cit d until the-container is inverted. At the same time the fish UNITED STATES PATENTS Piker 220/9 F are not being contaminated.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 /9 /9' 1 20 f2 oj g ;L

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PATENTEDSEP m sum am 2 3 6. cnouwv noun CONTAINER This invention relates to a container for the packaging of materials, such as foodstuffs, required to be kept cool by means of ice. An example of a foodstuff which is conventionally so packed is fresh fish.

In the packing of fish as aforesaid, it is already known to form the container of a suitable light mouldable plastics material, such as polystyrene, and also to provide drainage holes in the bottom of the container to enable the water resulting from melting of the ice packed around the fish to drain from the container.

In certain circumstances, it is desirable to obviate the draining of the water, from foodstuffs containers, and to provide the retention of the water resulting from melting of the ice packed around the containers contents, and it is an object of the invention to provide a container for material such as fish, whereby this is achieved. I

According to the invention a container assembly, for the packaging of material cooled with ice, comprises:

an open topped box-like container for the material; an insert panel appropriately dimensioned for location in the box like container, the insert panel having a plurality of perforations; and

means for supporting the insert panel above and spaced apart from the bottom of the container.

Inorder that the invention may be fully understood, it will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate two preferred embodiments of the container assembly of the invention. In the drawingsi FIG. 1 is a plan view of the container assembly;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1, of the assembly shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the insert panel of the assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 4 is an exploded underneath perspective view of an alternative construction of container assembly.

The illustrated container assembly comprises an outer shallow rectangular open-topped box-like container made of any suitable material, such as a mouldable plastics, e.g., polystyrene. This container, which comprises a generally rectangular bottom 11 rounded at the corners, having upstanding end walls 12 and side walls 13 formed integrally therewith, has no apertures, drain holes or the like in either the bottom 11 or the walls 12, 13, so that any liquid therein cannot flow away. The upper edges of the end walls 12 and side walls 13 are rebated as at 1 4 so as to permit a lid (not shown) to be fitted to the container 10.

Fitted into the container 10, simply by being inserted therein to rest upon the bottom 11 of the container 10, is an insert panel whoch is indicated generally by the reference numeral 15. This insert panel 15 comprises a basic generally rectangular panel 16 the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of which are just slightly smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the bottom 11 of the container 10, between the end walls 12 and the side walls 13 respectively. At each end the panel 16 is cut back at 17 to define two protrusions 18 for engagement with the end walls 12 of the container 10 when the panel 16 is in position in the container 10 so as to lie in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom 11. These protrusions 18, by abutting with the respective end walls 12 of the container 10, serve to locute the insert panel 15 ngairmt movement in the container l0.

Moulded integrally with the panel 16 so as to protrude from the underside thereof are means for supporting the insert panel 15 namely three support legs 19. These support legs 19 extend transversely of the panel 16, with one adjacent each end thereof and the other substantially along the transverse centre line of the panel 16, and each comprises a double arch-like arrangement providing three short downwardly projecting legs 20, so that with the panel 16 in position in the container 10 the legs 20 rest on the upper surface of the containers bottom 11 and support the panel 16 in a plane substantially parallel to such bottom 11 and slightly spaced above such bottom 11.

The panel 16, which may also be of a moulded plastics material such as polystyrene, is perforated by perforations namely holes 21 over substantially its entire two areas between the adjacent pairs of the support legs 19. These holes 21 (not all of which have been shown in FIG. 1) may, for example, be one-quarter of an inch in diameter and spaced at half-inch centres in rows and columns over the respective areas.

In using the container assembly, for example for the packing of fish, e.g., for storage or transportation, the fish is positioned in the container 10 so as to rest on the perforate panel 16 and is packed in ice as is conventional, cold water, resulting from the melting of the ice, running over the surfaces of the fish to keep the latter cool, in conventional manner. Contrary to the prior art proposals wherein this water is permitted to flow out from the container by means of drain holes or openings, such water is, in the illustrated embodiment, retained in the container 10. Thus, the water dripping from the fish drips orflows onto the panel 16, and can then flow through the holes 21 in the panel 16 and into a space 22 defined between the panel 16 and the bottom 11 of the container 10, this space 22 constituting a reservoir for receiving such water.

Referring to FIG. 4 there is illustrated an alternative construction of container assembly. This container assembly comprises a shallow rectangular open topped box like container 30 made of any suitable material, such as mouldable plastics for example polystyrene or polyurethene. This container 30 which comprises a generally rectangular bottom 31 having upstanding end walls 32 and side walls 33 formed integrally therewith, has no apertures holes or the like in either the bottom 31 or the walls 31 or 32, so that any liquid therein cannot flow away. A lid 34 rebated at 35 so as to, permit ease of fitting on the walls 31 and 32 is provided.

Fitted into container 30, simply by being inserted therein to rest upon the bottom 31 is an insert panel which is indicated generally by the reference numeral 36. The insert panel 36 comprises a basic generally rectangular panel 37 the longitudinal and transverse dimensions of which are slightly smaller than the corresponding dimension of the bottom 31 between the end walls 32 and the side walls 33 respectively. Moulded integrally with the panel 37 so as to protrude from the underside thereof are means for supporting the insert panel 36 namely a number of support legs 38. Each support leg 38 projects downwardly from the underside of the panel 37 and is of substantially circular crosssection tapering from the underside of the panel 36 at 39 to its free end 40. The panel 37 is provided with a number of perforations namely longitudinal slots 41.

This container assembly is used in the same manner as the container assembly hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

The invention is not confined to the precise details of the foregoing embodiments and variations may be made thereto. For instance, the arrangement may be such that the means for supporting the insert panel may be formed in the bottom of the container, as protrusions projecting upwardly from the bottom of the container, for the insert panel to rest upon them.

With the container assembly of the invention, therefore, the water, resulting from the melting of the ice, is always retained in the container until the latter is inverted, and in normal use unintentional escape of the water from the container is prevented.

I claim:

1. A container assembly for the packaging of material cooled with ice, said container assembly comprising in combination:

A. a generally rectangular flat bottom surface having end walls and side walls integral therewith and defining an open topped box like container for material, said end walls and side walls having a rabbeted surface about the open topped portion;

B. an insert panel having a generally rectangular flat upper surface dimensioned for location within the end walls and side walls of the box like container and substantially parallel to said bottom surface, said insert panel having comer portions removed, with oppositely disposed indentations along two side surfaces, said insert panel further having a plurality of circular perforations therein and integral means for solely supporting the panel above and spaced apart from the bottom of the container by contact therewith, said means for supporting being disposed one each along the length and near said side surfaces, with a further means for supporting being disposed intermediate said means near the side surfaces, each of said means for supporting having a panel member with end leg portions and a central leg portion, said end leg portions joined to said central leg portion by an arch surface; and

C. a generally rectangular lid having a retaining surface for contact with said rabbeted surface.

2. A container assembly as recited in claim 1 in which the perforations are formed by longitudinal slots.

3. A container assembly as recited in claim 2 in which each support leg is of circular cross-section and tapers from the underside of the insert panel to its free end.

4. A container assembly as recited in claim 2 in which each support leg is integral with the insert panel.

5. A container assembly as recited in claim 4 in which each support leg is in the form of a double arch like arrangement providing three downwardly projecting legs.

6. A container assembly as recited in claim 5 in which there are three support legs one adjacent an end of the insert panel, another adjacent the opposite end of the insert panel and the third intermediate the other two support legs and adjacent the transverse centre line of the insert panel.

7. A container assembly as recited in claim 6 in which the three support legs are integral with the insert panel.

8. A container assembly as recited in claim 1 in which the perforations are formed by longitudinal slots.

* l i t i 

1. A container assembly for the packaging of material cooled with ice, said container assembly comprising in combination: A. a generally rectangular flat bottom surface having end walls and side walls integral therewith and defining an open topped box like container for material, said end walls and side walls having a rabbeted surface about the open topped portion; B. an insert panel having a generally rectangular flat upper surface dimensioned for location within the end walls and side walls of the box like container and substantially parallel to said bottom surface, said insert panel having corner portions removed, with oppositely disposed indentations along two side surfaces, said insert panel further having a plurality of circular perforations therein and integral means for solely supporting the panel above and spaced apart from the bottom of the container by contact therewith, said means for supporting being disposed one each along the length and near said side surfaces, with a further means for supporting being disposed intermediate said means near the side surfaces, each of said means for supporting having a panel member with end leg portions and a central leg portion, said end leg portions joined to said central leg portion by an arch surface; and C. a generally rectangular lid having a retaining surface for contact with said rabbeted surface.
 2. A container assembly as recited in claim 1 in which the perforations are formed by longitudinal slots.
 3. A container assembly as recited in claim 2 in which each support leg is of circular cross-section and tapers from the underside of the insert panel to its free end.
 4. A container assembly as recited in claim 2 in which each support leg is integral with the insert panel.
 5. A container assembly as recited in claim 4 in which each support leg is in the form of a double arch like arrangement providing three downwardly projecting legs.
 6. A container assembly as recited in claim 5 in which there are three support legs one adjacent an end of the insert panel, another adjacent the opposite end of the insert panel and the third intermediate the other two support legs and adjacent the transverse centre line of the insert panel.
 7. A container assembly as recited in claim 6 in which the three support legs are integral with the insert panel.
 8. A container assembly as recited in claim 1 in which the perforations are formed by longitudinal slots. 